Her research brings together sociocultural aspects of education policy and learning theories centering questions of power, neoliberalism, equity, and social justice to advance understanding of the sociocultural structures, both within and outside of schools, that impact institutional policy and reproduce themselves by impacting women’s achievement behavior and aspirations in STEM fields.

Dr. Saxena’s research draws on critical theories of education, decolonizing feminist theories in science, sociocultural analysis of policy formation and appropriation, and innovative methodologies embedded in an ethic of care.